Linear slide roller bearing unit

Abstract

A linear slide roller bearing unit has an elongated track shaft having left and right ridges projected laterally from both sides thereof and extending along the length thereof, each ridge being provided at each of its sides with loaded roller surfaces directed upwardly and obliquely downwardly and extending along the length of the ridge. The bearing unit further has a bearing block mounted on the track shaft for movement along the length of the track shaft. The bearing block has a substantially inversed U-shaped cross-section constituted by an upper horizontal flat portion and skirts suspended from both sides of the horizontal flat portion. The horizontal flat portion is provided in its upper and lower sides with pairs of non-loaded roller grooves and loaded roller grooves extending along the length of the bearing block. The non-loaded grooves are connected to the loaded grooves through turning grooves. The skirt have slanted lower end surfaces directed inwardly and downwardly, and are provided at their mid portions with guide ridges extending along the length of the bearing block. The slanted end surfaces are provided at one sides of the guide ridges with loaded rolling surfaces opposing to the obliquely downwardly directed loaded roller rolling surfaces on the track shaft and at the other sides of the guide ridge with non-loaded roller rolling surfaces.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A linear slide bearing unit comprising: an elongated track shaft having left and right ridges projected laterally from both sides thereof and extending along the length thereof, each ridge being provided at each of its sides with a first loaded roller rolling surface directed vertically upward and a second loaded roller rolling surface directed obliquely downward;   a bearing block mounted on said track shaft for movement along the length of said track shaft, said bearing block being composed of a central section and two end plates, said central section having an upper horizontal flat portion and skirts depending from both sides of the upper horizontal flat portion, said upper horizontal flat portion being provided in its upper and lower sides with two pairs of non-loaded roller grooves and loaded roller grooves, said skirts having slanted lower end surfaces directly inwardly and downwardly, and said slanted lower surfaces being provided at their midportions with longitudinally extending guide ridges and at one side of said guide ridges with loaded roller rolling surfaces opposing to the obliquely downwardly directed loaded roller rolling surfaces on said track shaft and at the other sides of said guide ridges with non-loaded roller rolling surfaces, said end plates being attached to the longitudinal ends of said central section and each having four semicircular turning grooves each of which is connected at their one end with the corresponding one of said loaded roller grooves or surfaces in said bearing block central section and at their other end with the corresponding one of said non-loaded roller grooves or surfaces in said bearing block central section to form four endless tracks;   four roller trains comprising rollers interposed between the opposing loaded roller grooves in said bearing block and the loaded roller rolling surfaces on said track shaft and disposed on the non-loaded roller rolling grooves and the non-loaded roller rolling surfaces on said bearing block, each of said track shaft ridges being clamped by two trains of said rollers disposed on said first and second loaded roller rolling surfaces of each ridge;   side roller retainers secured to the end surfaces of said guide ridges of said skirts and adapted to guide and retain the rollers disposed on said loaded roller rolling surfaces and non-loaded roller rolling surfaces formed at both sides of respective guide ridges, each of said side roller retainers having a substantially L-shaped cross section having a flat side panel and a peripheral portion which includes a straight portion extending alone one longitudinal edge of said side panel and curved portions of semicircular sectional shape connected to opposite ends of said straight portion, said side panel being secured to the corresponding one of said guide ridge end surfaces, the straight portion of said peripheral portion cooperating with the corresponding one of said non-loaded roller rolling surfaces on one side of said guide ridges to form a non-loaded roller passage, the curved portions of said peripheral portion being adapted to cover the corresponding semicircular turning grooves in said end plates to form roller-turning passages; and   an upper roller retainer secured to the upper surface of said bearing block and adapted to guide and retain said rollers disposed in the non-loaded roller rolling grooves formed in the upper surface of said bearing block, said upper roller retainer having a flat portion and guide portions formed integrally with said flat portion to project from opposite ends thereof, said flat portion of said upper roller retainer being secured to the upper surface of said bearing block central section so as to cover said non-loaded roller grooves to form non-loaded roller passages, said guide portions of said upper roller retainer being of a semicircular sectional shape and adapted to cover the corresponding semicircular turning grooves in said end plates to form roller-turning passages.   
     
     
       2. A linear slide roller bearing unit according to claim 1, wherein said rollers are barrel-shaped rollers having an outer configuration constituting a part of a sphere. 
     
     
       3. A linear slide roller bearing unit according to claim 1, wherein said rollers are cylindrical rollers.